Islamabad talks end without deal
American and Iranian officials met for more than 20 hours in Islamabad but left without a deal to end the war or fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials said. (time.com) The talks covered the strait, the wider war and Tehran’s nuclear programme, and Iranian officials signalled more discussions might still be possible even as Vice‑President J.D. Vance said the session failed to produce an agreement. (nytimes.com) American officials kept firm “red lines” on key issues and President Trump warned of fresh strikes if talks collapse entirely. (theguardian.com)
American and Iranian officials left Islamabad on April 12 without a deal after about 21 hours of talks on the war, the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s nuclear program. (apnews.com) Vice President J.D. Vance said Iran would not accept Washington’s terms, including a commitment not to seek a nuclear weapon or the tools to build one quickly. Iranian officials said the United States, not Tehran, blocked progress. (abcnews.com) The meeting in Pakistan was the highest-level direct contact between the United States and Iran in roughly half a century, and it followed six weeks of war and a two-week ceasefire that now looks less secure. Pakistan hosted the talks after helping broker that pause on April 8. (reuters.com) The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow sea lane at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and it carries a large share of the world’s oil and gas exports. Reopening it fully was one of the central goals in Islamabad because shipping disruptions there have hit energy markets and global trade. (time.com) The agenda went beyond shipping. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks also covered sanctions, reparations and a broader settlement to end the conflict, while U.S. officials kept what Vance called firm “red lines.” (cbsnews.com) Iran signaled the door was not fully shut. Baghaei said no one should expect a full agreement in a single meeting and said messages and draft texts were exchanged several times during Pakistan-mediated discussions. (radio.gov.pk) Pakistan, which put Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar at the center of the diplomacy, said it wanted the Islamabad session to be a step toward a durable peace and offered to keep mediating. (nation.com.pk) President Donald Trump responded by warning that the United States could resume military action if diplomacy collapses, and on April 12 he said the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships from entering or leaving the strait. That raised the stakes immediately after the delegations flew home. (cnn.com) For now, the outcome is narrower than either side’s public demands: no peace deal, no full reopening of Hormuz, and no joint statement from Islamabad. What remains is a ceasefire under strain and both governments saying, in different ways, that the next move belongs to the other side. (nytimes.com)
